


Affirmative Defenses

by beccabuchanans (vestigialwords)



Series: Law Firm Hijinks [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Law Firm AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 19:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3353297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vestigialwords/pseuds/beccabuchanans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam pokes his head around the corner. He had shed his jacket and tie hours ago, and shucked his shoes for the evening the moment the elevator doors had closed on the last of the senior partners. "You okay, man?"</p><p>"No," Steve grumbles. "Stark’s drowning me in motions and I think I'm going to die."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Affirmative Defenses

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [bgamerica](http://bgamerica.tumblr.com). Also posted [on my tumblr](http://jakejensen.co.vu/post/110990622824/cap-family-law-firm-au-for-bgamerica-steve-sighs).

Steve sighs and drops his head to his desk. His forehead meets wood with a dull thunk, and his hair fans over the documents spread in front of him. The sun sank below the city skyline hours ago and Steve’s office, with its tiny east-facing window, had plunged into near darkness. Steve growls, quietly at first, but before he can regain control of himself, his frustration bursts forth with a strangled yell.

"Whoa!" Sam pokes his head around the corner. He had shed his jacket and tie hours ago, and shucked his shoes for the evening the moment the elevator doors had closed on the last of the senior partners. "You okay, man?"

"No," Steve grumbles. "Stark’s drowning me in motions and I think I'm going to die."

Sam throws his head back and laughs, his rich voice ringing through the empty floor.

"Oh Jesus, I forgot. Carter saddled you with the SHIELD matter, didn’t she?"

"Yeah," Steve groans without lifting his head. Sam grunts and disappears from the doorway. In the office next door, Steve hears rustling of paper and the clink of ice tinkling in a glass. Sam reappears with two tumblers and a bottle full of rich amber bourbon. He sets both glasses down on the desk, settles into one of the chairs across from Steve, and pours a generous lot for each of them.

"You know he’s just upset because the benevolent dictators of Carter, Phillips & Stark, P.L.C. passed him over for a partnership five years ago when Howard left." Sam took a sip of his bourbon and rested it against his leg. "And now that you’re on the short list for Fury’s seat… Tony's throwing a tantrum. It's not personal."

Steve groans again.

"Okay really now?” Natasha appears out of nowhere in the doorway.  “All this Rogers Misery is harshing my buzz." She snakes her way into the office and flops down in a chair next to Sam. Bucky follows close behind her and leans against the doorframe. Natasha drops her purse on the floor and toes off her heels with a relieved sigh. She swings her bare feet up onto Steve’s desk. "I can smell your anguish from the lobby.  _L'eau de Rogeurs, le parfum de mélancolie_. It's depressing."

Steve picks up his head just enough to free his right hand to flip Natasha the bird. She laughs.

"Why aren’t you out celebrating your glorious victory in court today?" Sam asked, leaning back in his chair to look over his shoulder at Bucky.

Steve brightens, throwing his weight back in his chair. He locks eyes with Bucky, his face shining, all thoughts of Stark forgotten. “I hear you two shredded Pierce’s argument this afternoon.”

"Yeah, we may have done that. Fuckin’ dinosaur." Bucky seems to swell with pride. "I might have enjoyed it.”

"I _definitely_ enjoyed it.” Natasha produces two plastic cups from her purse and snatches the bottle from Steve’s desk. She fills them and hands one cup over her shoulder to Bucky and cradles her own against her cheek. “I’d be shocked if the DA doesn’t seek charges against Rumlow, to be honest. I’d be thrilled to testify against that smug fucker.”

“Great,” Sam smirks, “but that doesn’t answer my question, Red.”

“We were on our way out, but we heard the cork pop, and Barnes here is a sucker for a good Kentucky bourbon. Myself, I’m partial to Cognac, but when you live among heathens…” she shrugs. Sam scratches his temple with his middle finger and she laughs. Her eyes skim over the scribbled citations on Steve’s notepad. “Hey, isn’t the SHIELD matter a contracts case?”

"Yeah."

"So why are you buried in case law addressing affirmative defenses to homicide?”

"Okay one, how do you know that so casually? And two…" Steve continues under his breath, "I’m definitely not researching whether it qualifies as self-defense to strangle Stark right there in the courtroom."

"Can I give you some professional advice, Rogers? Free of charge?" Natasha asks. Steve nods. "Your best Defense is Public Interest."

"I concur, but..." Sam trails off, taking a sip of his bourbon. Natasha looks over with a warm smile. "God knows I'm not Stark's biggest fan, but don't you think murdering Opposing Counsel in front of the bench is considered contempt of court?"

"Eh, depends on your judge," Natasha replies, looking to Steve, eyebrow raised.

"Walters," he answers.

"Oh, pfft," Natasha scoffed. "No."


End file.
